T HE GREEK HERBA L OF

DIOSCORIDE S

F I V E R EDIS T R IBU T IONS

BY JOR DA N DU N N

A DA P T ED F ROM JOH N G OODY ER’ S

1655 T R A NSL AT ION

OX E Y E PR E S S 2017
Book IV Section 76

Atropa Mandragora: Mandrake

After it is stirred about and laid up in an Mandagoras,

which some call
earthen vessel, the pulp of the bark is juiced by Antimelon, some
call it Dircaea,
first being beaten when it is new if the leaves some Circaea
are greater, whiter, broader, and smoother (as [some Circaeum,
some Xeranthe,
of the beet) when cut or cauterized in order to some Antim-
nion, some
soften the apples and return them to a manner Bombochylon,
some Minon, ye
made asleep. The root is like that before it, but Egyptians Ape-
mum, Pythag-
greater and whiter and without stalk, having oras Anthropo-
been grievous before the not-feeling of pain in morphon, some
Aloitin, some
the upward expulsion of phlegm. Being drank Thridacian,
some Camma-
too much it causes sleep and may even drive out ron, Zoroastres
Diamonon, or
life if previously used to soften ivory when it Archinen, ye
Magi Hemi-
was with it and made ready with it to be formed onous, some
into a fashion of will. When rubbed on gently Gonogeonas, ye
Romans Mala
for five or six days, the strokes of serpents take canina, some
Mala terrestria].
on a sweet scent and can be gathered up into
Since that the
concavity while gaining effectual tenderness in root seems to be
a maker of love
their own brine. If the time is brought to the medicines.
one who ingests it like a bundle of dried leaves There is of it one
done through with thread, it will hang there sort that is
 foemall, which until brought down and put under a press.
is black, called
Thridacias, The apples are also juiced in this way and are
having narrower
& longer leaves used for purging the matrix. Grown in the
than lettuce, shade about dens and low places, having the
of a poisonous
& heavy scent narrower and dark leaves but fewer of them, as
to the smell,
scattered upon if a long span were lying about the roots while
the ground,
being tender and white and about the thickness
& amongst them
the apples like of a finger, which then being drank as little
Service berries, or as much as a dram and eaten with polenta
pale, of a sweet
scent, in which will cause infatuation during sleep and unite
the seed as of a
pear: grievously upon waking. It is used by physicians
The roots two when they are about to cut or cauterize because
of three of a
good bigness, it makes one sensible of nothing for three or
wrapped within four hours unless mixed with a mollifying
one another,
black according passum fermented with serviceberries like a
to outward ap-
pearance, within love medicine. If it possesses a poisonous and
white & of a
thick bark, but heavy scent, it must be wrapped with another of
bears no stalk.
like kind, softened by the beaters, and scattered
But of the male, upon the ground to later be found by shepherds
and white which
some have called who prefer a strong scent and who derive sleep
Norion, the
leaves are greater by it because they are drawn to the saffron color.
white, broad,
smooth as of
the beet, but
the apples twice
as big, drawing
to saffron
in the color,
sweet smelling
with a certain
strongness
which also the
shepherds eating
are in a manner
made asleep, but
the root is like
to that before it,
yet greater and
whiter, & this
also is without
stalk.

The beark of
the root is juiced
being beaten
when it is new,
& set under a
press. But it
will behove the
beaters, after it
is stirred about
to lay it up in an
earthen vessel, &
the apples also
are juiced in like
manner. But the
juice of them
becomes remiss.
BK II Section 91

The Blending of Fats with Scent

Once it has congealed, take it out with a spoon, Calves fatt, as

also the fatt of
cast it into a new earthen vessel and set it up in a bulls, and of
the Hart and
very cold place. You may do this with swine’s fat, ye marrow of
bear’s fat, or any fat you would like to have an this creature are
made to have a
odiferous smell. Let it all be thoroughly beaten sweet smell after
this manner.
very small before you aromatize it and have it
Having taken
seethe for the third time over a slack fire. First off the skin from
that fat which
you must take off the skin of the fat which you you would have
would like to smell sweet, and then washing it in to smell sweet,
and washing it
a linen cloth, seethe it frankly in wine combined as we have said,
and seething it
with myrtle and cyprus branches. Then taking in odoriferous
wine, and that
wax from the thickenings, add the seeds from without any
sea water in it,
the tree used by pipe-makers, set it over coals, afterward takin
and let it seethe three times before taking the it down and so
letting it contin-
vessel from the fire and suffering the things ue all night.

within it to cool for one day and one night. Then pouring in
more wine of the
Then add this to old white wine eight fingers same kind and
of the same mea-
in depth until it loses its native scent and casts sure with that
away all of its strong greasy smell. Let it cool, formerly given
and melting it,
and taking the bruised flowers of marjoram and and carefully
 skimming of the wildest Myrrh, dilute it in wine of many
it, into nine
Herminae of the years standing. Of the marrow of this animal,
fat, cast in 7
drams of Iuncus its scent may be made sweet in this manner. To
Arabicus.
make the smell even sweeter, add forty drams
But if you would of flowers and mix it together with cinnamon.
make it smell
sweeter, add here Then beat it very small and take out the salt
forty drams of
the flowers of before seething it in the manner for which it was
the same, and as
many drams of prepared. When it has seethed a third time, take
Palma, Cassia,
and Calamus,
it off gently and strain it such as if it were new
and one dram and unmixed with blood, and so let it continue
of Aspalathus,
and Xylobal- all night to drink the sweet smell of a different
samum, and mix
herewithall of native scent. When the fat is congealed, take it
Cinnamon, of
Cardamomum, out with a spoon, strain it, melt it, and so set it
of Nardus, of
each one ounce.
up in an earthen vessel to thicken in the manner
But let all be already showed. Then pouring in wine without
beaten very
small. any sea water in it, take it down and let it
After pout in continue all night. Then pouring in more wine
odoriferous wine,
and having of the same kind and of the same measure with
stopped the
vessel close, set is
that formerly given to melting it, carefully skim
fast over it there off the excess marks until you have restored the
abide all night.
Then the day sweet scent and the fat receives all the strength
following pour
out the wine, and odiferous qualities of the thickenings.
and in more of
the same kind,
seethe it together
thrice in like
manner, and
take it off.

On the morrow
after having
taken out the
salt pour out
ye wine, then
having washed
the vessel and
taken away ye
filth that stuck
in the bottom,
and having melt-
ed it and having
strained it, set it
up and use it.

After the same

manner is that
which was
prepared before,
made to smell
sweet. The
aforesaid fats are
thus first thick-
ened, that they
may the more
readily receive
the strength of
the swet odor.
Acknowledgments

Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40–90 AD) was a Greek herbalist and physician.
He wrote De Materia Medica, a widely translated, five volume herbal and
pharmacopoeia that served as the foundation for western medicine for
1,500 years.

Until recently, the only English translation of De Materia Medica was

completed by the English botanist John Goodyer between 1652–1655. Over
two and a half centuries later, it was finally compiled and edited by Robert
T. Gunther, and published by Oxford University Press in 1933 as The Greek
Herbal of Dioscorides. A facsimile edition was printed by Hafner Publishing
Company in 1959 and 1968, respectively.

The italicized marginalia in this booklet are taken directly from my

transcription of Goodyer’s translation for each corresponding section: Stones
of Swallows, Radish, Plantain, etc. The body text is largely derived from
Goodyer’s translation, but permuted and redistributed during composition.

In his preface, Gunther includes a special note of thanks to Miss F. A.

Boustead, who faithfully copied the drawings that were used to illustrate the
Oxford edition. Those drawings were copied from the Vienna Codex of 512
AD. Two of those drawings appear in this booklet — the radish on pg. 13,
and the plantain on pg. 21.

The illustrations of the swallow, pg. 9, and the bear, pg. 25, are taken from
The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts, translated by T.H. White, and published by
Putnam in 1960. It is available online through the University of Wiconsin
Library. The Mandrake, pg. 21, courtesy of Wellcome Library, London.

The cover image is derived from the Appendix to the Oxford edition, which
itself is derived from the Vienna Codex. It was letterpress printed from a
magnesium plate on Arches Textwove paper. The type is Goudy Old Style.

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